War Mom Inflames Passions

August 20, 2005

I am the parent of a young man killed in Iraq and I've been seeing, reading and hearing much information regarding Cindy Sheehan.

When I learned that a group was staging a protest against the war in West Hartford using Ms. Sheehan's stances as a means of solidifying their positions, I could not let my point of view not be known [photo, Aug. 13, ``Anti-War Activists Hold Vigil''].

I didn't go there to dispute political points with anyone. All I wanted to do was speak with members of the protest to inform them as to how this parent feels.

I do not wish to denigrate Ms. Sheehan. I, my family and friends understand the pain of such a loss. But Ms. Sheehan does not speak for all mothers.

Personally, I feel she is being used and I am beginning to feel sorry for her.

I've never wanted my son's death to be used in any way for political propaganda. I know that nothing will change by my having been there, but I felt that it was important to my family, and to families like mine, that my feelings be known.

The people I spoke with were very respectful and again I thank them for having listened to me. God bless America and all our brave soldiers and families.

Claire R. Del Greco

Simsbury

Judging by how threatened those on the right are by Cindy Sheehan, a grieving mother exercising her constitutional right to free speech, it is no wonder the threshold for starting wars is set so low.

The hawks in this country have yet to figure out that the biggest detriment to a war effort is not protesters, but is the long list of flawed reasons for getting involved in the first place.

If the United States had found huge stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction or a connection to 9/11 or were greeted with flowers in Iraq, America would have never heard of Cindy Sheehan.

How many justifications for war have to be exposed as false before the right stops trying to make scapegoats of those who oppose this war?